Pearson Schools Blog

By Kate Wilson, Senior Director of Humanities at Outwood Grange Academies Trust.

We asked Pearson colleagues and teachers to discuss their most influential diverse role models. Whether close to home, or looming large in history, the answers they gave were a continued celebration of diversity and shared experiences, revealing the importance and impact of actions, words, and connection.

When it comes to low-stakes assessment, the consensus is that it is assessment which is not pass or fail, does not cause added stress or anxiety for pupils (Bain, 2004) (children can make mistakes without a penalty) and aims to get children to retrieve information. This blog looks at how Maths Flex can be used for low-stakes assessment.

When it comes to low-stakes assessment, the consensus is that it is assessment which is not pass or fail, does not cause added stress or anxiety for pupils (Bain, 2004) (children can make mistakes without a penalty) and aims to get children to retrieve information. This blog looks at how Abacus can be used for low-stakes assessment.

On the 16th of November, in a one-off Pearson webinar, Laila El-Metoui, founder of Pride in Education, Stonewall Lesbian Role Model of the Year (2020) and Equity Educator, shared with teachers and senior school leaders, what they can do to further diversify the curriculum, highlighting how inclusion at school can have a life-long impact on all learners including those who are LGBTIQA+.

Laila reflects on the key points teachers need to consider supporting a super diverse curriculum – starting with our own biases.

Are you keen to see more changes in how black history and black experiences are represented in schools? Your next role model might well be this inspiring student…

If you were asked to quickly picture a mathematician in your mind, what would that person look like? How old would they be? What gender? And what about the colour of their skin?  
 
To mark this year’s Black History Month, we consider how to best achieve Maths diversity, with the wisdom of Susan Okereke. 

Do you remember reading and writing for pleasure during your school days? Perhaps your class had a cosy nook for devouring books during breaks – or maybe a teacher enthused you with the joy of making up your own stories just because. If so, you may not realise what a great springboard that was for later life.

Maths has the power to open a world of new doors and possibilities for students, but it’s also a subject where children and adults alike can lack confidence. This lack of confidence can go on to act as a barrier to engagement and progress in the subject, not to mention shape what careers young people choose to enter, or avoid.